Those who want you to doubt that anarchy (self ownership and individual responsibility) is the best, most moral, and ethical way to live among others are asking you to accept that theft, aggression, superstition, and slavery are perhaps better.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Statists do not like the flaws in their thinking and in their "system" to be discussed or examined. If you don't believe me you haven't spent much time talking about liberty.

Discuss liberty very much and some statist will eventually accuse you of "whining about government". It doesn't matter if you are discussing the problems with achieving liberty in the presence of a government, just warning others of pitfalls to be aware of, or just talking about living free in spite of "how things are". Just mentioning liberty is enough to upset the statists and cause them to jump in to blindly defend their precious (and empty) religion.

There was a time when I did whine about government. That was a waste of effort. I used to worry about the government but now it is just irrelevant to me. Obviously, I am careful when I run into a representative or agent of the government but otherwise I don't think about it. Cops and other manifestations of the State are eyed with suspicion just as a dog with a foaming mouth would be. There's nothing mystical or omnipotent about either one, but both should be watched and avoided. To do otherwise would be suicidal.

However, to most statists- the most religiously dedicated ones anyway- any criticism or suggestions of ways to work around their cherished "system" is seen as whining. They would prefer those of us who see behind the curtain be quiet and stop exposing their lies. Probably because they have no real answers to the criticisms. When your bag of tricks is empty it is hard to pull something real out of it. So, they are forced to fall back on their magic incantations, which only work on others who suffer from the same delusions. They are sad cases, really.________________________

An employee of Albuquerque's Metro Detention Center has been arrested for doing things his masters didn't like. He is said to have taken bribes to make sure certain prisoners got on the "home detention" program, which he was the coordinator of. Imagine that- an employee of the imprisonment industry being corrupt! Wonders never cease.

What would you do with your life if you were suddenly free? Say you wake up tomorrow and liberty is the reality of life. You are fully free to live within all your rights, as is everyone else. No one will be asking for permits, licenses, or any other sort of bureaucratic paperwork. None of your property will be stolen through "taxation" or any other form of theft-by-government. There are no longer any "laws" telling you how to live as long as you are not attacking anyone, nor robbing or defrauding anyone. Just let that soak in for a minute. Now, really: What would you do?

We'll assume for this exercise that your "job" doesn't depend on any of those liberty-killing activities that have vanished in this new reality.

Have you always wanted to operate a little shop out of your spare room? Have you wished to grow plants that the former Rulers would have killed you for growing? Do you want to raise dairy cows and sell raw milk to those who want to buy it? Have you always dreamed of being the next John Moses Browning and invent the next generation of "self-defense engines"? Or, maybe, do you have a dream of starting your own software company, but start-up costs, inflated by competition-crushing red tape, have kept your ideas from moving out of your head and into the market?

Consider doing it anyway. Today. In our imperfect world. Without official permission, if that is your style. Yes, you will need to be secretive for now; maybe always. And, yes, the risks if you get caught are a tragic reality you must take into consideration. Yet, is your life so perfect now that there is no benefit in taking the risks? Never forget that there are costs associated with not doing what you should be doing, too. Which, for you-right now in this real world where you live- are the greater risks?

This illuminates a reality. If water is being wasted, the price is obviously too low. If it is priced according to its relative value in Albuquerque, it will not be wasted. People who can afford the higher price will use what they want, and others will conserve to save money. No theft or threats necessary. And government should not have a monopoly on the local water supply.

I do tend to wonder (without really caring) if ABQ has silly "laws" about keeping a nice appearance to your lawn which encourage waste for lawn care. I have seen places with this sort of catch-22 "law" designed to rake in the money one way or another. Me, I'd be perfectly happy with a yard of dirt, mesquite, and cactus that I never watered. Or "needed" to mow.